Double Crown Records / Continental Magazine Weblog

Learning To Play (Surf) Guitar

2010-10-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

I've been struggling recently with learning a new instrument - the guitar. I've played in bands in the past, playing bass guitar, then later organ. I got out of music for a few years, but a couple of years ago I decided I really wanted a hollowbody electric guitar (a Gretsch), despite the fact that I didn't know how to play it. Music lessons are an option, of course, but other than playing in the school band in junior high and high school (the only formal music instruction I've had), I've mostly taught myself (and it shows!). I've been thinking about taking guitar lessons, but am not really sure who to go with.

Which leads me to my final dilemma - what kind of music do I want to play. Surf guitar is obvious - I run a surf rock label, and if I could ever come up with something decent, playing and recording solo or with other musicians, I'd have an outlet for it. But I didn't buy a surf guitar - yes, with the right amp, reverb and pedals you can get it to sound pretty "surfy", but it's not the ideal surf guitar. The thing is, I like other kinds of music too - indie rock, electronic, and Brit pop - I can't learn how to play guitar in all of these genres.

I'd love to hear some feedback from other musicians. When you started to play guitar, what made you decide to play the kind of music you play? Do you play more than one style of music? Have you sunk a bunch of money into pedals and amps to get a certain sound, only to decide later that you wanted to go for a different sound?

SNL Is Actually Funny Again (Well, Occasionally...)

2010-01-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, but SNL seems to be getting slightly better recently. One of the funniest bits I've seen in a while was this one:

Spotnicks Theme In Wild World Of Batwoman?!?

2009-10-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

"Is this some sort of weird-ass hootenanny?" I never really thought of the "Spotnicks Theme" as fast pickin' country n' western tune, but that's the way it's used in The Wild World Of Batwoman. I was watching the MST3K version of the movie tonight and was surprised to hear one of my favorite Spotnicks tunes used in a goofy chase scene towards the end of the flick. It wasn't the original version, which got me to thinking... How did a bunch of low budget film producers in the late 60's even hear of the Spotnicks? Then, going beyond that, why did they find a band to record a cover version - there are so many other songs they could have used. I can't embed the clip here, but if you follow this link (scroll forward to 2:40) you can see the segment of MST3K that features the song.

The Mobsmen - Scelerats Syndicate CD Available Now!

2009-06-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Mobsmen - Scelerats Syndicate CD (Double Crown) Released May 26, 2009 (Order Now!)

Double Crown is proud to announce our latest release - Scelerats Syndicate from the great Norwegian surf combo, The Mobsmen! These masked marauders are set to tear apart the surf music world with their powerful, 12-track debut. You can find out more information about the band, and hear previews of songs from their album, at their MySpace page. Most of the songs are instrumentals, but they sprinkle in a few vocals here and there, so there’s bound to be something for everyone. Who would of thought - Scandinavia is the place to be for surf music these days - The Surfites, The Barbwires and now The Mobsmen!

BONUS! Order direct from Double Crown, or join the Double Crown Music Club, and receive a free bonus track via e-mail. It will be a cover of the classic instro - “Contact”.

Tracks:

1.Chunkje
2.Gridiron Syndicate
3.We’re the Mobsmen
4.Similau
5.Holy Gold
6.Scelerats Ave
7.Cicero Comet
8.Tandenborstel Twist
9.Flamenco
10.Raven Girl
11.You Better Tell me Now
12.Moaning Lisa

The Postmarks Cover "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue"

2009-03-19T09:43:00.001-07:00

I have a confession to make - I actually do listen to music other than surf music. Okay, now that you've picked yourself up off the floor...this post is about finding surf/instrumental rock songs in unexpected places. Bands that you normally don't think of as surf bands have actually turned in some pretty decent surf/instrumental songs, bands like REM, Belle & Sebastian and Richard Hawley have all done surf or instrumental rock n' roll songs that have been surprisingly good. I just picked up the latest release by The Postmarks, a cool pop/samba/lounge/indie combo, who have just released an album of cover songs called By The Numbers. Among songs by Ride, The Ramones, Bob Marley and others, there's a cover of the Ventures' Slaughter On Tenth Avenue. I like the use of organ on this - it's actually one of my favorite versions of the song - check out a preview, or purchase it here.

"Operation: CRUSH CANCER” – A benefit for Brian (Spanky Twangler) Rogers of The Penetrators

2009-02-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

Benefit Show Announcement!

If any of you have picked up The Penetrators DVD “Declassified” (available for purchase here: http://www.penetrators.com/loot.html ) I’m sure you’ve committed to memory the fact we played our first club gig on March 26th 1994. As coincidence would have it, the 15th anniversary of that date will be commemorated with “Operation: CRUSH CANCER” – A benefit for Brian (Spanky Twangler) Rogers at the Star Bar in Atlanta on Thursday March 26th and Friday March 27th.

Benefit or no benefit, this is one crazy-great line up of straight-up Surf & Garage Rock and Roll!!!!!

Here is the info:

[begin transmission] I'm proud and excited to present the "official" line-up for:

The Southern Surf Syndicate Spanktacular, Operation: CRUSH CANCER

At The Star Bar March 26th-27th. Benefit for Brian (Spanky Twangler) Rogers.

Thursday March 26th

9:00-9:30pm Slim Chance and the Convicts
9:45-10:15pm The Mystery Men!
10:30-10:50pm Myopic i (Debut!)
11:05-11:35pm The Holland Dutch
11:50-12:40pm Cletis and His City Cousins
12:55-close Thee Crucials

Friday March 27th

9:00-9:30pm The Surge!
9:45-10:15pm The Electric Cycles
10:30-11:00pm Dragline (Re-union!)
11:15-11:45pm The Penetrators w/ special guests
12:00-12:50pm The Woggles
1:05-close The Forty-Fives

There will be DJs each night and a fund-raising raffle too!

The Star Bar is located at 437 Moreland Ave Atlanta GA 30307

Concussions - Magic Fingers Named Instro Album Of The Year!

2009-02-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

The Concussions Magic Fingers CD, released on Double Crown Records last year, won the WYCE- FM Jammie for top instrumental album of 2008! They performed at the awards ceremony as well, wearing their jammies of course! You can find out more about the event here.

Dap-Tone Records Recording Studio Robbed

2009-02-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

The Dap-Tone Records recording studio was recently broken into, which is incredibly unfortunate, but it sounds like they're piecing things back together and should be able to get up and running soon.

Friends and associates,
As you may have heard through the grapevine by now, Daptone was broken into last night. Unfortunately, there was a lot of equipment (mics, pre-amps, monitors, turntables, guitars, amps, computers, etc.) stolen and damaged. It is going to take us a while to go through everything and take full stock of what was stolen, and we are not supposed to touch anything until the cops come back to collect fingerprints so we can only guess what's missing from some mic drawers and cabinets.

And, no, we did not have insurance. We had been shopping around with different companies earlier this month but had not signed a check, so nothing was insured. We are working on replacing the gate in front, installing an alarm system, and getting insurance, but it is President's day so it's not going as quickly as we would have liked...

Thankfully, we all still have our health, ambition, tape machines, and sense of humor in tact. You can slow us down, but you can't stop us. Sleep well knowing we here at Daptone will continue to...

Keep putting Soul up,

Gabriel Roth

I've really gotten into the Dap-Tone roster of stars, including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, and would highly recommend anything released by the label if you are into the 60's/70's soul/funk/R&B sound. Here is a tour MTV did of their studio a couple of years ago:

MTV Shows

Surf Party - Complete Movie On Hulu!

2009-02-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

I've been diggin' Hulu quite a bit recently - it's a great way to catch up with late night TV, SNL and a bunch of other shows. I haven't dug into the movies that much yet, but found this gem, Surf Party, amongst 'em - enjoy! The theme song, performed by The Astronauts, can be found on this great box set at Amazon.com

The Cramps' Lux Interior Passes Away At Age 62

2009-02-05T16:11:00.001-08:00

The Cramps were really the only band from the punk era that mattered to me. The Clash and Sex Pistols had some great songs and I've definitely enjoyed listening to them over the years, but The Cramps were really the only band that I identified with. Back in high school I took a trip to Europe with my school German class. There were about 20 of us, many away from home without our parents for the first time, and it was one of the most exciting times of my life. I was open to anything, and everything was thrown at me all at once. Legally drinking a beer or three in public, at the age of 16? Sure! Staying up 'til 3am on the streets of a large city? Why not? None of my really close friends were on that trip, but I bonded with a guy named Ken who was in a punk band called The Pink Slips. He had cool hair and a leather jacket with the cover art from The Cramps' Bad Music For Bad People on the back, a cover which featured singer Lux Interior in a ghoulish artist's rendering. He told me about how great they were and how they were a huge influence on his band. Our first stop on our whirlwind trip around Europe was London, and the first place we went was King's Road, the birthplace of the UK punk movement. This was 1986, nearly a decade after punk was at it's peak there, so what we saw wasn't nearly as vibrant as it was before, but there were still tons of cool clothing shops, hair salons (all advertising mohawks and razor cuts, but not in a touristy way), and record shops packed with vintage vinyl. When I got back home I picked up a cassette copy of Gravest Hits in a used record shop, and at that point I had my first exposure to rockabilly (or psychobilly) and surf rock. It was no better introduction to this kind of music - there are only a handful of artists that did what they did with the amount of passion that Lux & Ivy delivered over 3 decades as the leaders of The Cramps. The book Incredibly Strange Music Volume 1 goes into great detail in an interview with them, revealing how they met, how they collected music (almost all vinyl) and how they immersed themselves in 50's/60's pop culture. Over the following years I slowly collected each of their releases - I didn't have a turntable at the time, so at first I collected cassettes, then moved on to CD's. In the 90's I was fortunate enough to have seen them twice - first with Brent Cole of What's Up Magazine at Oz in Seattle in 1992, then a couple of years later at KNDD's Deck The Hall Ball in 1994 (headlining a bill that included, and I'm not making this up, Sheryl Crow, Radiohead, Jesus & Mary Chain, Butt Trumpet and Fretblanket). I think they've swung through the NW a couple more times over the years, but as I've grown up and now have family responsibilities, it's not as easy to get down to Seattle for shows. In a way though, I'm glad I saw them when I did - it was definitely after their peak, but man, were they still a mighty force on stage. They were a great, great band and will be sadly missed by many.

Penetrators CD / DVD / iTunes Sales Going To Spanky Twanger

2009-01-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

From: Trace Luger 017

Just wanted to announce to everyone that The Penetrators are donating all proceeds from the sale of DVD's, CD's and all other merchandise that we have to Spanky and his family. As some of you may know, Spanky is in a battle with cancer and some are asking about ways to help. Sticks and I thought this would be an easy way of helping the Twangler's.

If you are interested, our loot can be purchased here:

Double Crown Records - http://www.dblcrown.com/
The Penetrators Website - http://www.penetrators.com/loot.html

You can get our stuff from countless other ways also. They all buy more copies from us or Sean anyway. Downloads, such as iTunes, are also included in this.

If nothing else, please keep Spanky and his family in your thought and prayers.

When he gets a chance, Spanky updates everyone on this most important mission here:

http://www.myspace.com/briansupdates

Many Reverb T(h)anks,

Trace Luger 017

Note: I would personally recommend purchasing Penetrators items directly from the band - they get more money that way, plus they have a wider variety of Penetrators merch than I have available at Double Crown. Please check out the mySpace link above to stay up to date on Spanky's battle against Esophigal Cancer. Leave a comment, become a mySpace friend, and do whatever you can to support Brian/Spanky in his battle against this terrible disease - we're all pulling for him to lick this and get back on-stage delivering the twang and reverb once again!

Merry Christmas From Double Crown Records!

2008-12-25T22:44:00.001-08:00

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season! It's Christmas evening and it's about time to put away all of the holiday music for another 11 months or so. Here's a little last-minute chestnut for you all - enjoy!

Christmas With Heino

2008-12-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

My family has some close friends that live in Germany that we visit every few years, usually during the holiday season. It is absolutely my favorite place in the world to spend Christmas - lots of delicious sweets, outdoor Christmas markets, snow, Gluhwein (a spiced holiday wine that you can get with Jaegermeister, Amaretto, or straight-up) and Heino. Each holiday, whether I'm at home or in Germany, I have to listen to some holiday Heino at least once. Well, I just stumbled across a whole Heino Christmas special on YouTube - 23 minutes long!

Crappy Skymall Holiday Gift Ideas

2008-12-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

The Skymall catalog sucks, but it passes the time (well, about 10-15 minutes or so) while on an airplane. If you're looking for a last minute gift there are far better places to shop, but if you insist on ordering from the Skymall catalog here are some gifts to avoid.

Happy Days Christmas Episode

2008-12-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

New York Times Book Design Review - Favorites Of 2008

2008-12-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

The New York Times Book Design Review has posted their favorite covers of 2008. The books cover a wide variety of topics and are a mix of fiction and non-fiction. What they all share is gorgeous, innovative design - these books look so amazing I'd love to get them all, even if their content doesn't sound terribly interesting. It'd just be fun to look at them on the bookshelf. Click here.

Star Wars Holiday Special

2008-12-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

A while ago, back when eBay first started up, I bought a VHS copy of the Star Wars Holiday Special. At the time I watched about 15 minutes of it, but after endless banter between the wookies in Chewbacca's family, I just couldn't take it anymore (there were no subtitles). Well, I have a couple of kids now and they both like Star Wars, but my wife and I feel they are a bit too young to see all of the movies (we caved and let them watch the original Star Wars, but it'll be a few years before we let them see the more intense Empire Strikes Back). However, I thought the time was perfect to dig out the videotape and watch it from start to finish. Now my wife has threatened to divorce me and the kids won't speak to me. The thing is 90 minutes long! It's got Jefferson Airplane, without Grace Slick. It's got wookies going "whaaargh" at each other. It's got Harvey Korman in drag. The only thing that saves it is Bea Arthur doing a Kurt Weill-esque tune in the cantina....whaaaahhh?!? This clip shows another painful moment - Princess Leah singing about the Wookie Life Day. Sit back and enjoy!

2008-12-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

Speed Racer: The Complete Classic Series Collection

I was a pretty big Speed Racer fan as a kid, then once I had kids myself, I was able to watch it again with the newly released DVD's that started coming out a few years ago. Each DVD had 6-8 episodes in cool packaging. The only frustrating thing was that the DVD's were somewhat out of order, so you couldn't watch the series from start to finish. Well, that problem is a thing of the past - you can finally pick up the whole series in one package! It's a little frustrating that this came out after the single-disc releases, but I guess I can always sell them on e-Bay and pick this up later. (Click here to purchase through Amazon.com)

Christmas Time For The Jews

2008-12-08T16:09:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year - here's one of my favorite Christmas videos - a classic featuring Darlene Love that I converted to MP3 a few years ago and play it alongside the tracks on the Phil Spector Christmas album.

YouTube has taken the video down, but here's a site that has it (click here)

A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector At Amazon For $1.99

2008-12-02T13:25:00.001-08:00

Most of you probably have this in your collection, but if you don't, Amazon has this available as a digital download for just $1.99! No Christmas goes by where I don't play this at least 10-15 times - it's definitely in my top 3 holiday albums of all time.

A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector (From Amazon.com)

Cool Lego Tiki Bar

2008-12-02T11:31:00.001-08:00

My kids are 6 and 9 and we spend hours each week building things with Legos. This is a project I'd like to try sometime, or perhaps an easier project, like a freestanding tiki statue. Check out more info on this here.

The Concussions w/Eddie Angel & The Volcanos

2008-12-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, you have less than 2 weeks to book your plane ticket to see the biggest surf show of the year - Eddie Angel's Guitar Party, The Concussions and The Volcanos. The show is free!!! If you live anywhere near Michigan, you must see this show!!!

HOLIDAY TWANG BANG!!!

SATURDAY DECEMBER 13TH HOPCAT 25 IONIA DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN

Show starts at 9 o’clock sharp! FREE!!!

THE VOLCANOS (SURF AND DRAG FROM DETROIT) www.myspace.com/thevolcanos
THE CONCUSSIONS (TANKED UP AND TORRID TRASH FROM MICHIGAN’S WEST COAST) www.myspace.com/theconcussions
EDDIE ANGEL’S GUITAR PARTY!!! (WORLD FAMOUS GUITARIST) Eddie Angel is the grammy nominated guitar player for Los Straitjackets. Joining Eddie for this fantastic show will be Jason "Teen Beat" Smay (Los Straitjackets, The Hi-Risers) on drums and Greg Townson (The Hi-Risers) on bass. www.myspace.com/eddieangelonguitar

Untamed Youth - 2008 Reunion "Pabst Blue Ribbon"

2008-12-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I couldn't fly to Spain to see the most recent Untamed Youth reunion show, but thanks to Youtube, you can catch some of their performance. There's other UY vids there too, but you really can't go wrong with "Pabst Blue Ribbon". The go-go dancers are a nice touch, and Deke's "beer volcano" is unrivaled.

The Kilaueas Are Back!!!

2008-12-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

The Kilaueas Are Back!!!

The Kilaueas celebrate "10 Years Of Magmanautic Twang" and the introduction of their new guitarist, Matze Kilauea, with a show on December 12th in Stuttgart. They have a few other shows in Europe, and hopefully they can start work on a new set of recordings. They have won many fans over the years with their CD's, frequent shows in Europe and their 3-week US tour in 2006, so the news that they are back in action is very exciting!

Double Crown Records - Big Black Friday Sale!!!

2008-11-24T16:49:00.000-08:00

If you, or someone you know, has music on their holiday wish list, come on over to the Double Crown website this Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday and get 33% off any size order! This offer is only good for orders placed on these days. Just go to www.dblcrown.com/catalog.html and use coupon code: BLACKFRI. If you miss this sale, you can use coupon code DEC15 for 15% off through the end of December.

This is the perfect opportunity to add any of our 2008 releases to your collection, including:

King Of Hawaii - Mele Kalikimaka CD-EP - #DCCD34 - $6.00
(Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow)

The Concussions - Magic Fingers CD - #DCCD33 - $12.75
(Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow)

Frankie & The Poolboys - S/T CD - #DCCD32 - $12.75
(Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow)

The Surfites - Escapades In Space CD - #DCCD31 - $12.75
(Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow)

The Madeira - Carpe Noctem CD - #DCCD30 - $12.75
(Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow)

The Penetrators - Declassified DVD - #DCDVD01 - $14.95
(Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow)

Bonney & Buzz - Bang It Again CD - #DCCD29 - $12.75
(Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow)

Plus our two Christmas/Holiday compilations

V/A - Seasonal Favorites Volume One (Reissue) CD - #DCCD09 - $12.75
(Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow)

V/A - Seasonal Favorites Volume Two CD - #DCCD28 - $12.75
(Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow)

The sale starts this Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) and runs through Sunday. If you prefer Paypal, or mailing a check, instead of our online shopping cart, please shoot me an e-mail at: records@dblcrown.com

Mummies Reunion Video 2008

2008-10-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

the mummies (funtastic) from rob downs on Vimeo.

Everything's Better With A Little Yakety Sax...

2008-10-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

...even two fire trucks crashing into each other (reportedly no one was seriously injured in this crash).

Dolemite Dead At 81

2008-10-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

I got a chance to see Dolemite (aka Rudy Ray Moore) in Vegas a few years ago - it was an amazing moment. He basically just went into the crowd with his microphone and did his "toasting" thing for about an hour straight. He did some of the rhymes from his films, along with some new ones. Sadly, he passed away today at the age of 81.

Big Surf Show Featuring The Madeira

2008-09-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

CINCINNATI SURF EXPLOSION 2

This will take place on September 19th on the stage of the beautiful and spacious venue (not a bar) MEMORIAL HALL which is next to MUSIC HALL on Elm Street in Cincinnati, OH.

There are three bands on the bill: the wonderful Double Crown recording artists the MADEIRA, whose third CD just came out in June. They will be crowning the show. From Atlanta, Georgia is a wonderful group the SURGE. Opening the event will be DON'T FEAR THE REVERB.

For more information, click here.

The Surfites - Space Mover Video

2008-08-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

It's the first video from the Surfites' Escapades In Space CD, available through Double Crown Records.

The Concussions - Magic Fingers CD

2008-08-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Concussions - Magic Fingers CD (Double Crown Records)

After hitting the surf music world with a massive wall of reverb this summer, with brand new releases by Bonney & Buzz, The Madeira, The Surfites and Frankie & The Poolboys you probably thought Double Crown was done for the summer. Yeah, we've been talking about the upcoming Volcanics CD too, which is due out sometime this fall, but heck, we thought we'd throw a curveball your way.....

Available right now - the new CD by Michigan surf combo The Concussions! Twelve great new tunes, eleven originals plus a cover of the Beatles tune "And I Love Her". It's all wrapped up in our first digipak CD case and was produced and mixed by the band and Pete Curry of Los Straitjackets.

This release is so "hot off the press" that it isn't even up on the Double Crown website yet - I'll be adding it in the next day or two. You can order using the links below though right away. If you are part of the Double Crown Music Club you'll be getting your disc shortly.

Tracks: Bulletproof - Think Pink - Allskate - Stiletto - Curb Feelers - Last Regrets & Moist Towelettes - Beach Ball - A Booguru - Tillie The Soiler - Guitorgan - And I Love Her - Mod Monster.

The Concussions - Magic Fingers CD - #DCCD33 - $12.75

Use coupon code TENDISC when checking out for 10% off!

Buy Now From Double Crown Records / CCNow

You can also get a copy from The Concussions

The Concussions On Myspace

Double Crown Records Website

Coming This Month - 2 New Releases From Double Crown!

2008-08-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

We've got two great new releases out now - Frankie & The Poolboys' debut self-titled release and 2nd CD by The Surfites, Escapades In Space. These retail for $12.75 each and are available through the Double Crown website. You can also sign up for the Double Crown Music Club - you'll get 4 consecutive releases, starting with the new Surfites CD, for just $35 US (Canada/World are a little more). Find out more info by clicking here - it's like getting 4 CD's for the price of 3!).

Frankie & The Poolboys - Ewa On The Beach Video

2008-07-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Surf Guitar 101 Festival - August 2nd

2008-07-23T07:56:00.001-07:00

The first annual Surf Guitar 101 festival is coming up next week. Lots of great music, a preview of the "Sound of Surf" movie, John Blair, Paul Johnson, vendors from around the country and a swap meet. If you're in California, or have a chance to fly in, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! Find out more info at Surf Guitar 101.com

The Mummies Reunited (And Unmasked????)

2008-06-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Mummies are back! They're playing one show, and one show only, in Spain on October 10th at the Funtastic Dracula Carnival Festival (The Untamed Youth are also getting back together for this fest!!!!!). Man, it is very, very tempting to start savin' up the scratch to make it there, but I'm already booked for Rockabilly Rave USA the week before. If there were just a few more must see bands on the bill I'd consider changing my plans.

However, they played a warmup show a few days ago (as Scarecrow & the Corn Shuckers) - without their costumes! Whaaah? Read all about it here and see pics here. There's also a new interview here.

The Monks - German TV 1966

2008-06-15T14:53:00.001-07:00

The Madeira - Carpe Noctem CD

2008-06-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Madeira - Carpe Noctem CD

It's the second full-length release by The Madeira, a band that plays surf music born of screaming wind over the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert. This disc contains eleven lush, intricate surf instrumentals along with two covers (including "SOS (Stomp On Stomp)" by The Atlantics). Pick this up from the band at any of their upcoming shows, or order it through Double Crown Records. This CD was released on May 27th, 2008.

Tracks: Carpe Noctem - Wreak Havoc! - Undercurrents - Rolling Thunder - Infidel - El Flaco - Hamsa - The Saracen - SOS (Stomp On Stomp) - Tangaroa - Surf Fidelis - Sahar - End Of The Circle.

The Madeira - Carpe Noctem CD - DCCD30 - $12.75 (Buy Now From Double Crown Records CCNow)

The Madeira Official Website: www.themadeira.net

The Penetrators - Declassified DVD

2008-06-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Penetrators - Declassified DVD

The long awaited DVD from The Penetrators entitled "Declassified" is available for purchase on line at www.penetrators.com and www.dblcrown.com. "Declassified" features 15 live performances in addition to the video for "Redlined" shot by Paul Mayne and a new video for "The Southern Surf Syndicate Theme" and more! The retail price has been set at $14.95 plus shipping. The DVD was released on May 13, 2008.

Bonus features include the animated short, "Stuntmasters: Jawbone Gorge." Created in 2000 by Rip Thrillby (027) (under the pseudo-name "Scott Rogers") along with his business partner @ atomo.com Bill McIntyre. It has remained unreleased until now. An alternate audio track with commentary by Sticks Stechkin (013), Trace Luger (017) and Spanky Twangler (023) is also included in addition to liner notes composed by music journalist Gregory Nicoll.

May 13th seems a very appropriate release date as it is coincidentally drummer Sticks Stechkin's (013) Syndicate number. According to Spanky Twangler (023) who edited the project, "Without Stick's metronome like timing, many of the edits would not have been possible and this might have become a very boring presentation visually speaking."

May 13th is also 2 days removed from the dubious 5 year anniversary of Rip Thrillby's departure from this earth (May 11th, 2003). This DVD was compiled in a very large part as an effort to preserve his memory and contribution to Surf Music's 3rd wave as one of the driving, creative forces of The Penetrators. All of the DVD's menu artwork was adapted from a redesign Rip had been working on for The Penetrators web site. Taking into account the music, the art work, plus the humor in the "Stuntmasters" video, The Syndicate feels this is a fitting (albeit incomplete) tribute to several of the complexities of Rip Thrillby (027).

A sneak peak of "Declassified" can be viewed at http://www.penetrators.com/video.html

1:33:1 ratio. Running time approximately 66 minutes.

Regards,
Simon

The Penetrators - Declassified DVD - #DCDVD01 - $14.95 (Buy Now From Double Crown Records/CCNow)

Gaylord Comes With A Bone Of His Own...

2008-06-07T13:26:00.001-07:00

The Madeira - Undercurrents LIVE!!!

2008-05-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

A great video of The Madeira performing "Undercurrents", from their new Carpe Noctem CD, live at Asbury Park on May 24th, 2008.

Double Crown Spring Blitz - Tons Of New Releases!!!

2008-05-17T11:16:00.001-07:00

The new Madeira CD, "Carpe Noctem", is available starting today, May 27th! To order, click on over to the Double Crown website, where you can purchase this great new disc, along with our new Bonney & Buzz "Bang It Again" CD, our Penetrators "Declassified" DVD, or the new Continental Magazine - Issue #15 w/CD.

Make CD's Into Records!

2008-05-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Apparently you can turn CD's into "records" that are playable on a standard turntable using a vintage record cutter. I can't imagine that the quality would be any good (certainly not CD quality), but the idea is cool.

Anyone Remember This Commercial?

2008-04-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

Telstar Scopitone

2008-04-26T13:37:00.001-07:00

There's a great Scopitone video of Eddy Vartan performing "Telstar" over at the Bedazzled blog site. A great version of the song and lots of cool 60's rocket imagery.

Franz Ferdinand Goes Instro....

2008-04-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

...for 45 seconds!

Save Our Sonics

2008-04-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

I was a big basketball fan as a kid, right around the time of the Seattle Supersonics only NBA championship and a few years after that. Over the years my interests shifted, mainly music, but also soccer and skiing. However, as my kids get bigger, and develop an interest in sports, I've gotten back into basketball and soccer. Unfortunately, with basketball, we have an ugly situation here in the Northwest with the Seattle Supersonics possibly moving to Oklahoma City after 41 years in Seattle. We have been to a few games, and my kids and I even joined a group called "Save Our Sonics", where we joined a group of about 120 fans where we held up signs and chanted throughout the game. Things are starting to look up though - there have been recent developments which may keep the team in Seattle after it looked like all hope was lost. I can't say I'm still a huge basketball fan, however, having a team in Seattle is something I support as a father. If my kids develop an interest in sports and physical activity, with video games and watching TV so popular, then having as many sports teams in Seattle as possible is only a good thing.

Cat Plays Theremin....

2008-04-14T14:56:00.001-07:00

....not very well though!

Tayrolling - You Know It Had To Happen....

2008-04-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

First came Rickrolling, which I caught a few of you on earlier with my post about a free surf music archive. Well, it had to happen, Tay Zonday, Mr. Chocolate Rain, is doing his take on the Rick Astley classic.......

Impressive Pool Trick Shot With Dominos

2008-04-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

Goldfrapp - Lovely Head Visualizer With Lyrics

2008-04-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Goldfrapp has been a favorite of mine since their first (and arguably best) album. This amazing visualization is the first I have seen that incorporates lyrics. I don't use the iTunes visualizer that much (seems especially odd with surf and 60's rock n' roll), but I'd use it more if this were available.

Solar, with lyrics. from flight404 on Vimeo.

The Thunderchiefs - 4 Song Concert Video

2008-04-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Mike Wallace Interview - Interviews From The 1950's

2008-04-08T14:38:00.001-07:00

I just stumbled across The Mike Wallace Interview, an amazing collection of interviews from the 1950's.

Saturn V Featuring Orbit - Yellowjacket Twist + Go Go Gorilla

2008-04-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

This is from the Wild Weekend Fest of 2003 - I only got a chance to see this combo once, in Vegas, and it was one of my favorite shows of all time. This brings back some great memories (well, what I can remember, at least....)

Hot Dog TV Show From 1970: Surfing

2008-04-01T15:48:00.001-07:00

Star Wars: A Cardboard Hope

2008-04-01T15:41:00.001-07:00

The Tornadoes - The Robot Video

2008-03-31T14:38:00.001-07:00

The Tornadoes have always been one of my favorite instrumental bands, this video is pretty bizarre though...

Surfin' Sundays Schedule 2008

2008-03-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

Surfin Sundays Schedule 2008

Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum
Parking Lot 411 Olive Ave HB
Pier Plaza 315 Pacific Coast Hwy HB

April 20 HBISM Parking Lot 12 to 4 Pm Surf Sounds Part 2: Jan & Dean Exhibit Grand Opening Plus French Artist Celine Chat Exhibit and Surfin Sundays Concert begins with The Surftones, Reception & Dean Torrence appearance

April 27 Pier Plaza 11 Am to 5 Pm
11 Am Deep Sea
12 Noon Boardwalkers
1 Pm Insect Surfers
2 Pm Billy Blastoff & The Surf Rockets
3 Pm The Eliminators
4 Pm Sound Waves

May 18 HBISM Parking Lot 1 to 4 Pm Marauders & The Relix

June 1 Pier Plaza 11 Am to 5 Pm
11 Am Glasgow Tiki Shakers
12 Noon Slacktone
1 Pm Surf Kings
2 Pm Outer Wave
3 Pm Duotones Plus 2 with Slacktone Dusty Watson & Surfaris Ron Eglit
4 Pm Torquays Reunion

June 8 HBISM Parking Lot 1 to 4 Pm
The Nocturnes & Kathy Kohner Zuckerman “Gidget” book signing Plus Linda Chase “Surfing: Women Of The Waves” book signing

June 22 HBISM PARKING Lot 1to 4 Pm
Tomorrow Men & The Mighty Surf Lords from Sparks Nev.

June 29 HBISM Parking Lot 1to 4 Pm
Reventlos & Hot Plankton

July 13 HBISM Parking Lot 1to 4 Pm
Neptunes & Pyronauts Northern CA

July 20 HBISM Parking Lot 1to 4 Pm
Secret Samurai & Jason Lee & The R.I.P. Tides from San Diego Plus The Verbtones from Oregon

Aug 3 Pier Plaza 11 Am to 5 Pm
11 Am The Fabulous Nomads
12 Noon AquaSonics from Colorado
1 Pm Pollo Del Mar from San Francisco
2 Pm The Madeira from Michigan
3 Pm The Relix
4 Pm The Surftones with keyboard player Kerry Chester, Matt Quilter, John Statham, Rick Lindley, Eddie Keating, and David McCullough

Aug 17 HBISM Parking Lot 1to 4 Pm
The SoundWaves Plus Billy Blastoff & The Surf Rockets

Aug 31 HBISM Parking Lot 1to 4 Pm
The Breakaways Plus Sand Devils

Sept 7 HBISM Parking Lot 1to 4 Pm
Italy’s SurferJoe.com Representative Lorenzo Valdambrini’s band Wadadli Riders Antigua/Italy & The Detonators
Tentative: Los Venturas from Belgium

Sept 14 HBISM Parking Lot 1to 4 Pm
CHUM & The Black Widows

Sept 21 HBISM Parking Lot 1to 4 Pm
Goofyfoots Plus Doug Appleton’s Tsunamiblue

Oct 5 HBISM Parking Lot 1 to 4 Pm
Norm & The Surf Rockers Plus
Glasgow Tiki Shakers

All dates & bands subject to change without prior notice so please check www.surfingmuseum.org for updates

Huge Archive Of Free Surf Music!

2008-03-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Check this out - it's an online archive of out-of-print surf music, all available for free download! Check it out here.

Percussion Table

2008-03-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

So let's say you're a drummer laying down some tracks in the recording studio and you get hungry, but the band says "We're paying by the hour here, dude, we gotta keep going!". Why not get one of these tables - lay your bag of McDonalds goodies in front of you and lay down a beat while scarfin' down some fries and a McDLT.

Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year With Andre Williams

2008-03-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

I've seen Andre Williams live a couple of times, both memorable experiences. Unfortunately, both shows were kind of a letdown musically due to his mediocre backing bands, but you can't cage the man's charisma and way of working the crowd. This documentary looks pretty interesting - below is a trailer...

Read "Double Or Nothing" Book Online For Free

2008-03-21T14:14:00.001-07:00

If you're into Las Vegas or gambling, there's a new book out that you can read online for a limited time - check it out here.

You Suck At Photoshop - #9

2008-03-21T14:07:00.001-07:00

It's another "episode" of You Suck At Photoshop....

OMG - My Eyes....My Eyes....My Ears....

2008-03-14T12:00:00.001-07:00

Do You Like Oysters?

2008-03-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

One oyster asked another oyster, "I see you just got a pet dog, what are you going to name it?" The oyster said, "I dunno, I've always been a big fan of the movie Annie - I guess I'll name it Sandy" Ha Ha Ha! If you like oysters, and want more information about them, check out the Be Oyster Aware website at www.beoysteraware.com. You can get information on Gulf oysters, health issues and oyster recipes. There's actually fresh oysters just a couple of miles away from where I live, Taylory Shellfish Farms, on Chuckanut Drive between Bellingham and Mt. Vernon. Nothing quite like fresh oysters!

The Adventures of Rat Pfink and Boo Boo

2008-03-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

Apparently this movie was on TCM last week and I missed it (actually, I just found out that TCM shows a bunch of obscure flicks as part of it's TCM Underground series. Kinda reminds me of AMC's "American Pop" series from the 90's, back when AMC was still worth watching.

Pabst Blue Ribbon Song From 1958

2008-03-11T11:50:00.001-07:00

Here is a sweet, gentle ballad about Pabst Blue Ribbon from 1958 (link). It's more than just a jingle - it's a 4 minute song about bringing your family and friends together for a delicious Pabst. I think I still dig Untamed Youth's tribute more though (link).

New Order - Your Silent Face (Early Live Version)

2008-03-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

"Your Silent Face" by New Order is one of my favorite songs of all time. Well, I just stumbled across an early live version that sounds very raw and Kraftwerk-esque. Very cool!

Double Crown - March 2008 Update

2008-03-07T14:17:00.001-08:00

There's lots of new stuff available in the Double Crown catalog so if you're looking for some surf/instro music to get in the mood for spring, go to our online catalog. We've also got the upcoming Bonney & Buzz CD, Bang It Again!, set for a March 25th release. Here is what's new in the catalog:

(NEW!) Davie Allan & The Arrows - Fuzz For The Holidays 2 CD (info) - SP032 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) Eddie Angel - Guitar Party + Bonus Tracks CD (info) - SPCD23 - $14.75
(NEW!) Eddie Angel - Eddie Angel Meets The Beatles CD (info) - SP020 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) Eddie Angel - Plays Link Wray CD (info) - SP027 - $14.75
(NEW!) The Aquasonics - Play Songs For The Surfin' Set CD (info) - WT506 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Beat Tornados - Scandinavian Interlude CD (info) - FR009 - $16.75 (NS)
(NEW!) The Bel-Airs - The Origins Of Surf Music CD (info) - CP9512 - $14.75
(NEW!) Blue Rockin' - Rockin Boogie Trash CD (info) - PT6602 - $14.75 (NS)
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Brillantina's - Pulp-A-Mandrilla CD (info) - ET020 - $12.75 (NS)
(NEW!) El Patapsco - Long Range Desert Group CD (info) - EP001 - $12.75
(NEW!) El Ray - Highwave To Hell CD (info) - GC016 - $15.75 (NS)
(NEW!) The Fathoms - Fathom This! CD (info) - MU029 - $14.75
(NEW!) The Four Points Gang - Rhythm & Booze CD (info) - PT6801 - $10.75 (NS)
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Fuzz-Busters - Retro-Sonic Music For The Moderns CD (info) - FB751 - $14.75
(NEW!) I Fantomatici - Spaghetti Surf CD (info) - GC015 - $15.75 (NS)
(NEW!) The Illuminoids - Secret Society Of Surf Guitar CD (info) - SPR33 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Incredible Mr. Smith - Adventures In The Land Of Twang CD (info) - GS012 - $14.75
(NEW!) Jon & The Nightriders - Stampede! CD (info) - CP9511 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) Laika & The Cosmonauts - Laika Sex Machine CD (info) - YP024 - $14.75
(NEW!) The Lava Rats - Don't Drink The Water CD (info) - LR001 - $13.75
(NEW!) Los Gatos Salvajes - Complete Recordings CD (info) - NF021 - $14.75
(NEW!) Los Kahunas - Otro Reverberante Encuentro Con... CD (info) - NF022 - $14.75
(NEW!) The Martini Kings - Dance of The Virgins CD (info) - MK003 - $14.75
(NEW!) The Martini Kings - Weekend In Palm Springs CD (info) - MK002 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Men From S.P.E.C.T.R.E - The Living Eye CD (info) - HB007 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Moe Greene Specials - S/T CD (info) - GC010 - $16.75 (NS)
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Nelsonics - The Nelsonics (Reissue) CD (info) - HB502 - $14.75
(NEW!) The Nematoads - Five Guns West CD (info) - DE025 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Razorblades - The Dark Side Of The Beach CD (info) - GS001 - $14.75
(NEW!) Retroactive Gamma Rays - Activate! CD (info) - RGR01 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Reverb Syndicate - Operation: Jet Set! CD (info) - TRS01 - $12.75
(NEW!) The Reverb Syndicate - Sputnik A-Go-Go CD (info) - TRS02 - $13.75
(NEW!) The Secret Samurai - Gun Sho Gun CD (info) - SS001 - $14.75
(NEW!) The Silhouettes - Rautalankarenessanssi CD (info) - EB007 - $16.75 (NS)
(NEW!) '63 Burnout - Trouble At The Speedway CD (info) - GGR701 - $14.75
(NEW!) The Sleepwalkers - Twisted Fate! CD (info) - GRCD140 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Special Agents - Bulletproof Beat CD (info) - HB004 - $14.75
(NEW!) Speedball Jr. - For The Broad Minded CD (info) - GC014 - $15.75 (NS)
(NEW!) The Tornadoes - Charge Of The Tornadoes CD (info) - CP9503 - $14.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) The Tornadoes - Now & Then CD (info) - CP9501 - $14.75
(NEW!) Urban Surf Kings - Bang Howdy Partner CD (info) - USK005 - $14.75
(NEW!) The 'Verb - Reverberated...For Your Pleasure CD (info) - TV001 - $14.75
(NEW!) The Volcanics - Girls Girls Girls CD (info) - OR103 - $12.75
(BACK IN STOCK!) V/A - Better Than The Average Weekend: Shadowy Men Tribute CD (info) - DE011 - $14.75 (NS)
(BACK IN STOCK!) V/A - Big Wave Riders CD (info) - DE020 - $14.75 (NS)
(BACK IN STOCK!) V/A - Celebration Of Life CD (info) - GB004 - $9.75 (NS)
(BACK IN STOCK!) V/A - Christmas Memories CD (info) - RR739 - $16.75 (NS)
(NEW!) V/A - Out Of This World Flying Saucers CD (info) - CP019 - $14.75 (NS)
(NEW!) V/A - Pledge Your Allegiance To Satan! CD (info) - NTR09 - $12.75
(NEW!) V/A - Wilson Chance: The Sound Of Danger CD (info) - HB002 - $14.75

Star Wars Opening Credits Done Saul Bass Style

2008-03-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

Saul Bass created the opening credits sequences for classic movies like The Man with the Golden Arm, Vertigo, Psycho, Casino, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and many more. This YouTube clip shows what the opening credits for Star Wars could have been like had he been in charge.

Playboy Cover To Cover - The 50's

2008-03-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

If you're a fan of the fifties, cocktails, jazz music, clothing, vintage hi-fi equipment, fictional writing, interviews with celebrities and, uh.....beautiful women, Amazon's got an amazing deal. This box set contains digital reproductions of every page of Playboy magazine published in the 1950's, a real paper reprint of the first issue, a book detailing the early history of the magazine and a box that houses the whole collection, for just $20.00!!! It normally sells for around $100.00 - act quick on this one, before they pull the deal. (link)

Bonney & Buzz - Bang It Again! CD Coming March 18

2008-02-28T15:06:00.001-08:00

Bonney & Buzz - Bang It Again! CD - 17 Twangy Euro-Instro Classics!!!

Bonney & Buzz are back with their second CD for Double Crown - a 17 track classic called Bang It Again! The duo features Bill Bonney of The Fentones ("The Mexican" and "The Breeze & I") and Pete "Buzz" Miller ("Can Can 62" and "Totem Pole"), who was also half of the popular Shig & Buzz duo. They are joined by a bunch of accomplished musicians on drums, bass and percussion. You’ll find seventeen classics, including “Raunchy”, “F.B.I”, “Last Date”, “The Breeze & I” and more!

(Order Now! - Ships 3/18/08) Bonney & Buzz - Bang It Again! CD - $12.75 (Click To Order)

Dodge Turbine Car Of The Future + Bali Hai Restaurant

2008-02-25T15:29:00.001-08:00

Just stumbled across this cool family film taken in the 60's, where they're driving around in a Dodge Turbine car (only 50 made) and having dinner at the Bali Hai Restaurant.

Improv Everywhere Brings Desktop Computers To Starbucks

2008-02-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

The Starbuck's stores here in Bellingham already resemble the computer labs we had in the 90's at Western Washington University - this group takes things a step further.

Journey With The New Singer They Found On YouTube

2008-02-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

Apparently Journey has gone through a few singers since Steve Perry left the group. The latest is a guy from the Philippines who fronted a Journey cover band - they found him on YouTube, and just like the movie Rock Star, they drafted him in as their new singer. I'm not a big Journey fan, but I have to say, this guy sounds close enough to satisfy fans as they make the rounds at county fairs all over the US this summer.

Kraftwerk - Performing "The Robots" On Soviet TV

2008-02-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

An absolutely amazing video of Kraftwerk, performing "The Robots" on Soviet TV in the 80's. I'm not normally a huge fan of lipsyncing, but it's cool seeing them on stage, with their robot counterparts watching from the audience.

The Production Of An RCA Records From 1942

2008-02-21T14:19:00.000-08:00

These amazing YouTube videos show the amazing process for making records in 1942, from start to finish. No embedding allowed for these, so you'll have to click through for part 1 and part 2.

Let's All Go to the Science Fair!!!

2008-02-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

This video comes from my favorite Fortune & Maltese record, released by Hillsdale Records about 10 years ago .

Tex Avery's TV of Tomorrow

2008-02-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

55 years later, it seems like a lot of the things in this cartoon have come true.

Cool Lego Hot Rod

2008-02-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

My kids and I build with Lego all the time - we even have a robotics set which we use to build programmable cars. My oldest likes to build dragsters, and they're pretty cool, but this Lego hotrod is simply mindblowing - looks like they've even used stock bricks (although some of them are probably fairly hard to find). There are a bunch of detailed photos here.

World's Greatest Music Collection On Ebay - 3.3 Million Records/CDs

2008-02-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

I don't have a spare $3 million, or a spare warehouse, for this huge collection, but take a look at this auction on Ebay. 3 million LP's, 300,000 CD's and loads of 7"s and 78's. Check out the Q&A as well.

Amazing Staircase Bookshelf

2008-02-20T09:32:00.001-08:00

When we moved into a new house a couple of years ago I was able to reduce my book collection by 2/3, but if we hadn't moved, our old house had a stairs that would have been perfect for this sort of thing. I like how they made little areas on each step that allow you to sit and select a book from each "shelf", as well as the skylight that brings light into the whole area.

Manic Street Preachers Cover "Umbrella"

2008-02-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

The Manic Street Preachers are one of my favorite non-surf/instro bands, but when I heard that they did a cover of Rhianna's "Umbrella" I kinda rolled my eyes. However, I've got to say it works - they've made it sound like an outtake from their excellent This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours LP.

Fugly $140,000 Hot Wheels Car

2008-02-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

I'm perfectly happy with the $0.99 Hot Wheels cars that my kids buy at the local grocery store - $140k could buy you a pretty sweet REAL car, that you can actually drive and stuff..... (Gizmodo)

2001: A Space Odyssey Done MST3K Style

2008-02-18T08:52:00.000-08:00

2001: A Space Odyssey is condensed to 5 minutes, with added MST3K style commentary.

WFMU Battle of the Bogus Beatle Bands

2008-02-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Round 3 Of WFMU's "Battle Of The Bogus Beatle Bands" has been posted - you can click on this link to see all 3 rounds so far, with plenty of downloadable MP3's.

Spongebob Classics - Casablanca, Singing In The Rain & The Godfather

2008-02-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

The voice crew behind Spongebob Squarepants read through the dialogue of three classic films.

Turkish Star Wars Movie (aka Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam)

2008-02-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

This is just way beyond bad - Ed Wood used plenty of stock footage in his films, but whoever put together this Turkish sci-fi film went WAY beyond that - they used a ton of footage from Star Wars, inserted some Turkish actors and dialogue, added a dash of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Phantom of the Opera theme music, and voila - they had a movie! I have to admit, I didn't make it all the way through, but I'm sure you'll find lots of other borrowed material in this little gem.

A Classic Grammy Moment From 1985

2008-02-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

It's a monster keyboard/keytar jam with Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Thomas Dolby and Howard Jones!

Will.A.Am At the Grammy's - Don't Play This YouTube Clip!!!

2008-02-11T11:06:00.001-08:00

The Grammy's weren't half bad this year - the Daft Punk/Kanye thing was kinda cool (I was a big fan of TRON in the 80's), the Morris Day segment was good and Keely Smith can still sing like she used to. I didn't make it all the way through the show, so I missed this moment....this is truly awful

Las Vegas - Rockabilly Rave USA + Mondo Lounge In Early October

2008-02-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars - in early October there will be two great festivals going on in Las Vegas - Rockabilly Rave USA and Mondo Lounge. I had already made plans to go to the rockabilly fest, either as a vendor or just as a spectator, but I just got word that there will be a second festival in Las Vegas that weekend. As if there wasn't enough to do in Las Vegas! Just cruise on over to the two websites and see for yourself. I'm not sure if I'll be going on my own, with my wife, or with the whole family. If this wasn't enough for you, or you're looking for some side trips to do while in Vegas, check out Trusted Tours & Attractions - they've got all kinds of helicopter tours, trips out to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon, and much more. Las Vegas is known for it's adult activities, but Trusted Tours & Attractions has plenty of family vacation ideas. We've done a couple of Las Vegas trips with my whole family and my mother in law, so we can do family stuff during the day and then she watches the kids at night - it all works out pretty well. Last time we all went down we had a great time seeing Tom Jones, an Elvis impersonator (I think his name was "The Dream King") and drinking while walking up and down the strip. With two great fests packed into 5 days hopefully I'll see some of you in Las Vegas in October!

Dancing man wearing a horse mask cooks wild mushrooms.

2008-02-08T15:13:00.001-08:00

Ummm...I really don't know what to say about this. All I can say is that you might think twice before playing this clip. It's totally SFW, however, the images you see will become etched in your mind for weeks. This seems like it could be an outtake from Borat...kinda makes me wonder what the inspiration behind this is.

Gilligan's Island - Unaired Pilot Episode

2008-02-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

Not sure I dig the calypso theme music, but the is still cool nevertheless. I have a feeling it'll get trashed by YouTube soon though....

70's Pop Explosion - ABBA + Andy Gibb + Olivia Newton John

2008-02-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

This YouTube clip is pretty mindblowing - ABBA, Andy Gibb, Olivia Newton John in one room, murdering Beach Boys songs - doesn't sound like they did much rehersal for this, but gotta give 'em an A for effort!

CruiserStyle.com - Beach Cruisin' Bicycles

2008-02-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across a company today that does for bicycles what Easy Rider did for choppers - it's at CruiserStyle.com, which features a variety of mens' beach cruisers (they have ladies and kids beach cruisers too). Many of the bikes have traditional styling, however, the one that really caught my eye was the one in the photo shown here. It's not really my style (although it'd be fun to try it out), but it looks like something my kids would love to have. I can't tell from the website how well these do in the sand, although many of the photos show the bikes in the sand, so maybe they'd work okay. Or perhaps "beach cruisers" are used to get to and from the beach, on sidewalks, trails and roads. I live in Washington, with no nearby beaches, so I'm not really sure what the scene's like in California, Florida, etc. I know that these bikes definitely look cool and are reasonably priced - men's bikes start at $139.00. My wife rides a cruiser, with a basket in front, and it really works well on areas that are relatively flat - she has a blast on it. Her cruiser is in good shape, but if it ever breaks down I'm going to show her this site!

Pearl Jam Support Barack - Kill Bill Haley Song

2008-02-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

This is just awful, worse than Eddie Vedder's mohawk of a few years ago - Pearl Jam (minus Eddie, who despite his political views, wisely stayed out of the studio on this one) rip through the Bill Haley & The Comets classic, "Rock Around The Clock", but change it to "Rock Around Barack" - get the MP3, if you dare, here.

Try Netflix Using This Link - Get 25% Off Your Next Double Crown Records Order!

2008-02-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Netflix is a great service - my family has been using it for years and it's much cheaper than cable/satellite TV, and no commercials. We usually go with the 4-out plan, but during the summer when we're busy we usually go down to the 3-out plan. They have a huge selection - there are very few in print movies that they don't have. They currently have a deal going where you can try them out for free. If you click on the ad or the text below and sign up, let me know by sending an e-mail to: records@dblcrown.com with the subject "Netflix / Double Crown Discount Offer". I will then send you a code for 25% off your next Double Crown order!

Netflix - Only $4.99 a month! No Late Fees. Try it for Free!

Vintage Valentine's Day Cards

2008-02-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

I like to make my wife a personalized Valentine's Day card each year - sometimes I start from scratch, but often I do a little cut n' paste to put one together. I just stumbled across a Flickr group that has a bunch of vintage V-Day cards - throw one of these into Photoshop and in no time you'll have something sweet for your gal or guy.

Payperpost - A Unique Website For Bloggers

2008-02-07T13:29:00.001-08:00

A week or two ago I mentioned the fact that every once in a while I would be including paid reviews on this blog site. I'm hoping that over time I'll be able to include reviews that are appropriate to this blog (there have been just a few so far). It seems like when you first sign up there are a limited number of options, but over time the options will increase. I found a great one through a Google search called payperpost, which is quick and easy to get started with, and they seem to have the largest selection of available items and websites to write about. The user interface on their website it easy too - login is a snap and with just one click you get a list of all items and websites that are available to write about, and this list changes every day. Payments are quick too - it's linked to Paypal and payments are sent promptly. the money that comes in from these paid ads will go towards Double Crown Records and The Continental Magazine - hopefully enough will come in so I can add another release or two to our schedule each year. At PayPerPost there is a large amount of variety, so if you are a blogger you're bound to find something of interest to write about!

Recreating Super Mario Brothers

2008-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting version of the long-time favorite Super Mario Brothers.

L'Aerotrain - A French 60's/70's Hovercraft Train

2008-02-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

The French worked on a hovercraft train the 60's and 70's, but abandoned the concept in favor of the TVG high speed train system. This video is a glimpse of what could have been....